Target game



' 1624" April 12,1927. w. c. SCHMEH TARGET GAME Filed Aug. 10, 1926 s Sheets-Shet 2 i 3 ER INVENTOR W'TNESSES I WtZZamOifikm'ek I l BY Z ATTORNEYS on the line 77 of Fig. 5.

Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM 0. 80113115121, or PARK RIDGE, NEW JERSEY.

TARGET GAME.

Application filed August n), 1926.'- Serial No. 128,392.

This invention relates to amusement ap-' paratuses. I

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of an amusement ap paratus having novel features of construction and operation, capable of being set up in a place of amusement, and which afiords sport for persons who can display or eXercise their skill in throwing balls to set up or' register a score entitling them to appropriate prizes offered. I I

More specifically, objects of the invention are toprovide'an amusement. apparatus of the indicated character having a figure simulatinga baseball player, with which is associated acylindrical supporting member which simulates a, bat mounted for swing ments which are to. be struck by thrown balls so as to cause the targetelement struck to actuate a switch associated therewith, which in turn closes an electric circuit including a suit-able scoring device or annunciator to indicate the score -made by the person throwing the balls.

l Vith the foregoing, other objects of the invention will appear from the embodiment of the invention which by way of eXa-mple is described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front View of the apparatus embodying the present invention.

Fig.- 2 isfaesectional end elevation the '1 section being taken on the line 2'2 of Fig. 3.

Fig.3 is a sectional plan View.

Fig. 1 is. a detail sectional view taken on. the line 44 of Fig. 3.

,Fig. 5' is-an enlarged plan view of the g "27 secured to the plate 2.1. Each switch 13 includes a hollow casing 28 of insulating mabat and the parts connectedthereto.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of a,

part of the bat, one of the target elements and its related switch, and a part of the target element resetting means.

Fig. 7 is atransverse sectional view taken Generally stated, the apparatusof the vpresent invention comprises a figure 10 made in simulation of a baseball player of the desired proportion, a substantially cylindrical supporting member 11 simulating a bat which is associated with the figure 10 and is mounted for swin ing movement, target elements 12 carried by the member 1]., electrical switches 13 carried at the-back of the member 11 and associated respectively with the target elements 12, a'scoring device or annunciator 14; arranged at a remote point which is actuated by virtue of the closi'ng of one of the switches 13 and a means connected between the switches and the annunciator 14, means 15- for resetting the target elements 12 to allow the'switches "to open, mechanism 16 for" effecting the swingng movement of the member or bat '11, and

tensioning means 17 for controlling the swinging movement of the member or bat 11.

Referring now more particularly to the views of the drawings, it will beapparent, that the figure 10 is so designed and will be painted to'simulatea base ball batter in a batting pose. The supporting member 11 is pivotally connected-as at 18 to a bracket 19 secured at 20'to a portion of the figure 10. A. metal plate'21 is secured at the rear of the member 11. The target elements 12, of which there are four in the present .in-

stance, each extend through guides 22 which are disposed transversely of the member 11. The target elements 12 are arranged in spaced relationship and are freely movable in opposite directions in the guides 22 respectively. Each target element 12 has a rounded head 23 at one end, and a head 24:

at the opposite end. The head 24 has a conicalportion 25, and 'an extremity26bey'ond the conicalportion 25.v The'heads 23 i and 24' limit the movement of each element 12 in opposite directions. An electric switch 13 is associated with each of the target elementsv 12 as shown most clearly inFigsJ3, 5 and 6.' Theswitches 13 are similar in construction and each is carried by a bracket 33 is arranged for longitudinal movement in the guide 30 and is under the. influence of a spring 34 which has a, normal. tendency to yieldably hold thebridge member 33 in a circuit opening position. The bridge member 33 has a rounded head 35 at one end and its opposite end is adapted to move between the terminals of the contact members 31 to close the switch. It will now be understood that when the head 23 of one of the target elements 12 is struck by a thrown ball, the element will be moved from its normal position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 6, which will cause the cam portion 25 to act on the head 35 of its related bridge member 33, and as a consequence the. extremity 36 of the bridge member 33 will be moved between the extremities of the contact members 31 thus closing the circuit.

I The means 15 hereinbefore referred to which serves for resetting or returning each of the target elements 12 to its normal position respectively consists of a member 37 arranged for sliding movement in guides 38 secured to the plate 21. The member 37 has a handle 39 at one end for effecting the sliding movement of the member 37 in one direction. A spring 40 is employed and has one end attached as at 41 to one of the "vals by virtue of which a plurality of cams 43 are provided. The cams 43 are equal in number to the number'of target elements 12, and each cam 43 coacts with the extremity 26 of its related target element. It will now be understood that when the member 37 is i moved in one direction by manipulating the handle 39 to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 5, the cams 43 will be moved to positions in which each will be able to coact with the extremity 26 of its related target 7 element 12to cause the same to move to its normal position. When pressure on the handle 39 is withdrawn, the spring 40 comes into play and returns the member 37 to its normal position. Pins 44 carried by the member 37 limit the movement of the memher in opposite directions, since the pins ator each time one of the target elements 12' is moved from its normal position by being struck by a thrown ball to signify that the person who has thrown the ball has either made a one, two or three base hit or a home run, according to which one of the elements 12 is struck by the ball.

The mechanism 16 for effecting the pivotal or swinging movement of the member 11, in the present instance includes a rod 45 pivotally connected as at 46 to one extremity of the member 11 beyond the pivot 18. The rod 45 extends throu h a portion of thefigure 10. A bracket 4% is fixedly secured to the 7 directions.

rear of the figure 10, and the bracket 47 embodies a plate 48 having a dovetailed rib 49 which is received in a similarly shaped groove 50 in a member 51. The member 51 is thus mounted for sliding movement in opposite The rod 45 has a nut 52. Secured to the member 51 is a lug 53 having a hole therein through which the rod 45 extends. The member 51 also carries a stub shaft 54 on which is mounted a roller 55. A

frame 56is carried by the bracket 47, and

said frame 56 supports a shaft 57 upon which is mounted an irregular cam 58. The cam 58 consists of cooperative members 59 each of which has cam portions 60 adapted to coact with the roller 55 which is disposed between the member 59, as shown most clear 64 is in operation the cam 58 will be rotated by virtue of the intervention-of the shaft 63, worm 62, and worm gear 61, and as a consequence, the member 51 will be reciprocated by virtue of the coact-ion of the cam portions 60 with the roller 55. When the member 51 is slid in one direction the lug 53 in contact with the nut 52 on the rod 45 will cause the member or bat 11 to swing in one direction. When the member 51 is moved in an opposite direction, the rod 45 will be permitted to move in a similar direction, and this is accomplished bythe means 17 hereinbefore referred to presently to be described. 7 i

The means 17 which serves for tensioning the rod 45 also serves for moving it in a direction opposite to that brought about by the movement of the lug 53 in one direction. The said means consists of a coil spring 66 which surroundsa portion of the rod 45 and is arranged between thelug 53 and a nut and washer 67 adjustable on the threaded portion 68 of the rod 45. The spring 66 functions toabsorb theshock imparted to the member or bat 11 as the result of one of the target elements 12, or the member or bat 11 itself being struckby a thrown ball, thus' preventing breaking of certain of the parts. g V

In operation the member or bat 11 will be swung in a horizontal plane, and due to the fact that the cam 58 is irregular, the member or bat 11 will be variably swung to and fro. A person will be furnished with asuitable number of baseballs who will exercise his skill to strike the target elements 12 while the member or bat 11 is in motion. Each time one of the target elements 12 is struck, the circuit will be closed, and as a consequence the annunciator 14 will be actuated to indicate to a particular score or base-hit,

CAL

after the manner of the game of baseball. The attendant by manipulating the handle 39 can reset the particular target element or elements 12 struck to re-condition the apparatus.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise arrangement of vparts shown and described, as details of construction may be modified and rearranged without departing from thespirit of-the invention, the scope of which is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A target game comprising a swinging support, a plurality of target elements carried by the support, each targetelement operable when struck by a thrown object, an annunciator, means associated with each of said target elements and said annunciator which actuates said annunciator in response to the operation ofeach of said target elements as the result of being struck by the thrown object, manually operable means carried by the support for resetting the target elements to render them operable repeatedly, andimechanism for effecting the swinging movement of said support.

2. A target game including a support mounted for pivotal movement, headed elements carried by the support for movement in opposite directions, 1 electrical switches carried by the support, there being one switch associated with each of said headed elements, the movement of each headed element in one direction causing the closing of its related switch, manually operable means.

carried by the support for effecting the return movement of each of said headed elements to a normal position to allow its related switch to open, and to render the headed elements again operable as switch closers,

and mechanism for efi'ecting the pivotal movement of said support.

3. A target game including a cylindrical member, means supporting said member for swinging movement inra horizontal plane,

headed elements extending transversely of the cylindrical member in spaced relationship, each of said headed elements having sliding movement in opposite directions, electrical switches carried by said cylindrical member, there being one switch associated with each of said headed elements, the movement of each headed element in one direction causing the closing of its related switch, and means carried by the cylindrical member for effecting the return movement of each of said headed elements to allow its related switch to open and to render each of the headed elements again operable as a switch closer.

4. A target game comprising a figure simulating a baseball player, a cylindrical member simulating a bat, means supporting the cylindrical member for swinging movement, means effecting the swinging movement of said cylindrical member,aplurality of headed elements carried by said cylindrical member, electric switches carried by said cylindrica-l member, there being one swltch asso-' ciated with each headed element, each headed element having movement in opposite directions, the movement of each headed ele-. ment in one direction causing the closing of its related switch, and means carried by the cylindrical member for eifecting the movement of each headed element to allow its related switch to open and to render each of the headed elements again operable as a circuit closer.

WILLIAM C. SCHMEH. 

